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RAND work on public safety issues ranges from policing and prisons to violent crime and the illegal drug trade, as well as homeland security and emergency preparedness. RAND research helps inform policy debates that are often riddled with arguments driven not by evidence but by emotion and ideology.

Inmates disproportionately suffer from a variety of health conditions, compared with the general population. Some in-custody deaths are inevitable; for example, elderly inmates may die of old age. But certain types of death are highly preventable.

Some people think autonomous vehicles must be flawless before humans take their hands off the wheel. But putting AVs on the road before they're perfect improves the technology more quickly—and could save hundreds of thousands of lives over time.

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Results suggest that AUD and other drug use disorder are more problematic than marijuana use disorder in terms of repeated hospital admissions for SSD. Marijuana use disorder does not appear to be associated with shorter times until readmission.

Young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 have been shown to be the most prevalent and problematic users of marijuana. There are proven strategies that they can use to help protect themselves from experiencing harmful effects.

Cybersecurity has risen to become a prominent issue of national and global security for governments and international organisations worldwide. A focus on cybersecurity looks at the issues and details RAND Europe's expertise and work in the area.

Differences in epidemiological survey estimates can sometimes occur from seemingly minor method variations; these variations deserve special attention when increases or declines are seen in study populations.

Outpatient guidelines can help hospitalists evaluate inpatients on long-term opioid therapy, but more work is needed to help providers make decisions for inpatients that balance effective pain treatment and opioid risk reduction.

How will legalization of recreational marijuana affect alcohol consumption? Will drinking go down because people substitute cannabis for alcohol? Or will drinking go up because cannabis and alcohol complement each other? These questions have important implications.

The Olympic Games could invite the most severe cyber threats to a major sporting event in recent years. The location of the Games and increased connectivity, both among the public and infrastructure, make them a prime target for cyberattacks.

Helping formerly homeless people identify members of their social network who trigger alcohol and other drug (AOD) use may motivate them to reduce high-risk AOD use in the transition to permanent housing.

The association between medical marijuana and lower levels of opioid overdose deaths—identified previously in several studies—is more complex than previously described. It appears to be changing as both medical marijuana laws and the opioid crisis evolve.

The association between medical marijuana and lower levels of opioid overdose deaths—identified previously in several studies—is more complex than previously described. It appears to be changing as both medical marijuana laws and the opioid crisis evolve.

This report documents the update of an online tool to help assess costs and effectiveness of implementing up to 14 interventions and select those most effective in reducing death and injury from motor vehicle crashes for a given budget.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated interactive Motor Vehicle Prioritizing Interventions and Cost Calculator for States can help state decisionmakers prioritize motor vehicle injury-prevention interventions.

Researcher Spotlight

Senior Quantitative Analyst

Terry Fain is a senior quantitative analyst in the Economics, Sociology, and Statistics department at the RAND Corporation. His work includes criminal justice and health projects. His research interests are juvenile justice, mental health, and alternatives to incarceration. Fain is an expert in…

Adjunct Staff

Richard Neu is an adjunct staff member at the RAND Corporation and formerly a senior economist at RAND. He is also a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Most recently, Neu has served as director of the RAND-Initiated Research program. He served for three years as the founding director…

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